It takes blood, sweat and tears to win championship and defending champion Dermot McElroy saw all three, both literally and metaphorically, as he battled his way into the semi-finals of the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.
The 22-year old from Ballymena birdied five holes in a row from the 12th to beat Kinsale’s Cathal Butler 3 and 2 in the quarter-finals before finishing birdie-birdie to beat the ultra-talented 17-year old Kevin LeBlanc by two holes in the afternoon.
As Colm Campbell ended the dream of Co Sligo’s Sean Flanagan to set up a meeting with Castle’s Daniel Holland, McElroy now meets the talented Naas ball-striker Jonathan Yates as he bids to become the first player to retain “the West” since Rory McILroy in 2006.
The McElroy - Le Blanc was a humdinger worthy of the final itself as the youngster from The Island refused to go away, even when clearly in shock after drawing blood when he hit a middle age Donegal man full on the head with his approach to the 11th.
The match was level at that stage but a clearly shocked Le Blanc hit a poor chip to 30 feet as an ambulance was called. He somehow pulled himself together to hole the putt and halve the hole but he wasn’t quite himself on the next and McElroy birdied tto go ahead and never relinquished that lead.
Stil, the holder needed to display some impressive short game skills to keep his nose in front, pitching into the bank when short sided at the 16th and holing the seven foot putt to go up the 17th with the slimmest of leads.
When he hit a 220-yard two iron into the hill at the 17th that rolled back to finish two feet from the flagstick, he looked home and dry. But LeBlanc holed an unlilely 50 footer across the famous green for a half in birdie to take the match up the last.
He missed a 20 footer for birdie there, however, and McElroy cruelly holed from 10 feet for a two-hole win that was as exciting as it was entertaining.
The victor had nothing but praise for teenager Le Blanc, who had eased past County Sligo’s Stephen Brady by 7 and 6 in the morning.
“He’s a very very good player, very talented,” McElroy said generously. “He didn’t really hit a bad shot. A super player with a lot of potential and a very good temperament. He will be winning these here with ease in the future.”
McElroy faces 22-year old UCD student Yates in the semifinals - his room mate last night - following the Naas man’s 6 and 5 demolition of Whitehead’s Matthew Kane.
“This is more of a surprise to other people that it is to me because I have had a few runs,” said Yates, who lose to Paul Dunne in the 2013 Irish Close semi-finals. “I have won four college events and the Midland Scratch Cup in the last year, so it has been coming.”
He faces a very tough match with former East of Ireland winner Campbell, who aced the fourth from 178 yards but had to birdie the last from 20 feet to beat New Forest’s Des Morgan by just one hole having played the four par threes in just eight strokes by following a hole-in-one at the fourth with a three at the ninth and twos at the 13th and 16th.
In the afternoon he was in equally devastating form as he went four up after six holes and then made no mistakes to hold off a courageous fight from Co Sligo’s hope Flanagan 3 and 2 and set up a semi-final match with 26 year old Holland from Castle.
A former Mullingar Scratch Trophy winner and Leinster Interprovincia, Holland came with low expectations but after 2 and 1 wins over Aaron Grant and Gavin Fitzmaurice he said: “I can do it here. It’s in me.”
West of Ireland Amateur Open, County Sligo GC (in association with Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa)
Third round: S Flanagan (Co. Sligo) bt R Knightly (The Royal Dublin) 2/1; C Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt D Morgan (New Forest) 1 hole; G Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) bt T Coffey (Slieve Russell) 3/2; D Holland (Castle) bt A Grant (Dundalk) 2/1; K Le Blanc (Island) bt S Brady (Co. Sligo) 7/6; D McElroy (Ballymena) bt C Butler (Kinsale) 3/2; J Yates (Naas) bt H Duggan (Kilkenny) 5/4; M Kane (Whitehead) bt C Rafferty (Dundalk) 3/2.
Quarter-finals: C Campbell bt S Flanagan 3/2;
D Holland bt G Fitzmaurice 2/1;
D McElroy bt K Le Blanc 2 holes;
J Yates (Naas) bt M Kane 6/5.
Tuesday
Semi-finals: (8.00) Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) v Daniel Holland (Castle);
(8.15) Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) v Jonathan Yates (Naas).
Final in afternoon.
